


Courthouse Security

by Calypso_Rising



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Crack, Deputy Castiel, Enemy Lovers, Fluff, Inspired by Real Events, Lawyer Dean, Lawyer Sam, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 05:03:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9476822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calypso_Rising/pseuds/Calypso_Rising
Summary: When Dean loses his court security badge and has to go through security procedures like a normal person, he is less than thrilled.  To make matters worse, the new Deputy in charge of court security is a complete asshole.





	1. Chapter 1

The files in his arms shifted dangerously as he eyed the line in front of him.  He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the way that his arm was already starting to cramp.  Seriously, law school should have included mandatory weight training classes or something.  At the very least, one of his professors should have mentioned that fifty percent of a lawyer’s job included moving large, unwieldy files from one place to another.  Maybe Dean would have taken up weight lifting on his own if he’d known he was signing up to be a pack animal.  Probably not, but someone should have said something regardless.    

The image of the rolling box that Sam used to carry his stuff flitted through his mind.  Dean had made fun of him when he first saw Sam pulling the thing behind him in the courthouse parking lot.  It was seriously the dorkiest thing he’d ever seen his brother own, especially since the handle was too short for Sam’s height.  Sam had rolled his eyes when Dean laughed and asked whether precariously balancing files in his arms and overstuffing one small messenger bag looked any cooler.  Dean had been adamant that, yes, his way was obviously cooler.  Sam hadn’t bought it though, and now, Dean was wondering whether the kid wasn’t actually right.  A rolling box might look stupid, but it would make his wait in the security line a lot more pleasant.

Dean shifted the files again as the line moved forward.  The security line to enter the courthouse wasn’t too long today thankfully.  Not that Dean had expected otherwise.  It wasn’t like the Sandover County Circuit Court was huge.  The county itself was on the smaller side of medium and mostly rural.  Despite that though, some days, the line went out the door, down the steps outside and began wrapping around the building.  His arms really wouldn’t have been able to handle that long of a wait.  The line moved forward again, and Dean grinned as he approached the scanner.  

“Good morning, Garth,” Dean called to the gangly Sheriff’s Deputy.

“Well good morning to you, Dean,” Garth replied in his bright, cheery tone.  “You bring your whole office with you today?”  He motioned to the files in Dean’s hands, and Dean gave a shrug.

“It’s a busy morning.”

“You best get moving then,” Garth smiled and waved Dean through the metal detector.  Dean stepped through the flimsy looking contraption and it beeped wildly.  On the other side, Ash, another Sheriff’s Deputy, gave him a lazy smile. 

 “Dude, you’re gonna get some guns carrying all that around.”  Ash flexed his arms into different poses, and Dean kept walking.  

He had never been more thankful that Garth and Ash didn’t make the attorneys present their court badges to pass through security hassle-free.  Without the badge, even attorneys that they recognized were still technically subject to the same rules as everyone else to get into the court – bags had to be x-rayed, pockets had to be emptied, the metal detector had to be passed without making it go crazy.  Ash and Garth never worried about that though.  If they knew you, and they knew you were an attorney, they didn’t hassle you.  It was a small gesture, but it was a damn nice one, especially when he was balancing so many files.

“I gotta get my work out in somehow,” he called to Ash.  Ash gave him the rock on sign as Dean breezed past him, and Dean smiled.  He would never understand how Ash or Garth became Sheriff’s Deputies, but they were always a welcome start to his time in the courthouse.  Neither man exactly screamed authority figure, especially not with Garth’s kind smiles and cheery attitude or Ash’s slightly rebellious vibe and his truly impressive mullet.  Somehow though, there they were, and under them, security in the courthouse ran smoothly.  

Dean deftly side stepped the people lingering in the main lobby and veered slightly to the left.  The Sandover County Courthouse was a small, two story building, which housed four courtrooms – two on the first floor and two on the second.  The first floor was mainly for criminal matters, while the second floor was for civil issues, but in his head, Dean referred to them as his floor and Sam’s floor.  Although Dean had gone off to law school intending to follow in his mother and father’s footsteps and enter the world of family law, he had been granted the opportunity for an internship at the DA’s office during law school.  At the time, he thought it would just be a good opportunity and something that would look good on his resume.  By the end of the internship though, Dean had decided that criminal law was it for him and had easily secured a job with the Sandover County DA’s Office upon his graduation.  Sam, always the better child, had stuck to family law and even managed to land a gig at the best firm that Sandover County could offer.  Sam had always been the better kid though…

Breaking out of his reverie, Dean was just starting to wonder how he was going to open the door and keep his files from falling when the door to Judge Turner’s courtroom flung open wide and Dean was able to scurry inside.  He made his way up to the seats reserved for attorneys near the front of the room and sat down heavily.  He arranged his files and looked back over the docket for that day.  There were a lot of cases to be heard, and the people milling around in the gallery looked amped up.  That was never a good sign.  Dean took one last deep breath as Judge Turner entered the room and hoped that things would go smoothly. 

~*~*~*~

The morning docket went better than Dean expected and afterward, he found himself in the lobby, milling about, talking to other attorneys, working out deals, clarifying issues, and just generally shooting the shit.

Dean made his way steadily through the stream of attorneys and a few random court staff, and by the time he was done, he had resolved a few lingering issues and made a potential deal on two cases.  He felt pretty good as he glanced down at his watch and realized it was almost noon.  His stomach grumbled as he gathered all his files in his arms once more and headed for the door.  As he passed, he threw a look over to the security station to say bye to Garth and Ash.  He frowned slightly when he noticed that both men were busy speaking with a third deputy.  Dean couldn’t tell who the deputy was, but from the unruly dark hair, Dean was fairly certain it wasn’t a deputy he knew.  Figuring it was best not to interrupt, Dean kept quiet and pushed his way out of the building and into the cold, clear sunlight. 


	2. Chapter 2

Afternoons tended to be quieter at the courthouse, so as Dean pulled the Impala into the court parking lot the next day, he easily found a spot close to the door.  He parked and scooped up his bag and the single file on his seat then climbed out of the car.  He set the file on his roof as he pulled on his suit coat and adjusted it.  As he grabbed the file and his bag again, he heard his brother’s voice behind him.

“Hey Dean,” Sam said cheerfully.

Dean turned and found his gargantuan brother standing behind him. 

“Hey Sammy,” Dean replied.  “What are you doing here?”

Sam pushed a lock of hair from his face and cast a glance over at the courthouse.  “Custody hearing,” he said flatly. 

Dean grimaced and shook his head.  “Sounds terrible.”

“This one is,” Sam admitted.  “The parents can’t agree on anything, and they can barely be in the same room without trying to tear each other apart.  What do you have?” 

“Motion to suppress,” Dean wiggled his eyebrows dramatically, and Sam laughed. 

“Sounds thrilling,” Sam teased as they both made their way to the courthouse doors.  

“Better than custody,” Dean assured, but Sam just rolled his eyes.

As they approached the doors, Dean’s phone vibrated.  He held open the door and ushered Sam through as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.  Noticing a new email, he opened it as he followed Sam the short distance to security.  There was one person just passing through the metal detector, so they stopped and waited.  Dean was still scrolling through the email as he heard Sam step through the metal detector, sending it beeping wildly. 

“I’ll see you later Dean,” Sam called, and Dean raised a hand absently.  He was just finishing the email as he stepped up and began walking through the metal detector.

“Hey.” 

The metal detector started beeping as a sharp voice startled Dean.  He looked up, confused.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to step back this way.”  Dean looked up, wondering what kind of joke Garth or Ash was playing on him.  

“What the hell, man?” he complained as he turned to figure out which man was fucking with him.  When he turned though, neither Garth nor Ash was standing there.  Instead, a deputy with dark, unruly hair was scowling menacingly at him. 

“I need you to step back this way,” the man repeated firmly, and Dean found himself automatically backing up to where the man was pointing.  When Dean reached the spot, the man nodded.  “Sir, please place your bag on the belt so it can be x-rayed.”

“But I’m an attorney,” Dean blurted out, feeling vaguely violated.  He was trying to figure out why he wasn’t looking at Garth or Ash, but his brain was coming up empty.

“I’ll need to see your court badge then, sir,” the man replied calmly.  Dean stared for a moment at the man.  He was attractive with intense blue eyes, lean build, nicely tanned skin.  The guy was giving off a real dick vibe though, which Dean thought ruined some of the effect.

_Too bad_ , Dean thought as he began digging in his pockets for his badge.  When he couldn’t find it, he moved to digging through his bag.  He couldn’t find the badge in there either.  Cursing silently, Dean put on his most charming smile. 

“It looks like I forgot it,” he told the still scowling deputy.  “Deputy…” Dean’s eyes dropped to the name tag on the man’s shirt.  “Novak.  Can you please just let me through this time? I promise I’ll bring it next time.”  Dean turned up the charm a little higher, but Deputy Novak apparently was a bigger dick than Dean had anticipated.

“Without your badge, you will need to go through the standard security procedures,” the Deputy said almost robotically.

Dean frowned, then put a smile back on.  “There’s nothing you can do for me this time?”  He tried batting his lashes just slightly.  That never failed him.

“No,” came the almost instant reply.  Deputy Novak pulled out a small plastic tray and set it before Dean.  “Please place your bag on the conveyor belt, and please empty your pockets and place any items into this container.” 

The smiled dropped off Dean’s face completely, and he couldn’t help feeling insulted.  No one could resist the Winchester charm.  Dean glared at the man for a long moment.  The man met his glare with a cool stare of his own, and for a moment, Dean thought about complaining.  The man seemed to read his thoughts though because his eyes narrowed and he pushed the container closer. 

“Don’t forget to place your keys in the container,” the deputy commanded.

Sighing, Dean lifted his bag onto the conveyor belt.  He then moved over to the container and began emptying his pockets.  He threw his wallet and keys into the container, followed by a paper clip and some loose change.

“Okay.  All empty,” Dean said somewhat sarcastically as he looked at the deputy.  The deputy said nothing as he grabbed the container and put in on the conveyor belt to also be scanned.  When he was done, he motioned Dean through the metal detector.  As Dean passed through, the machine sounded.

“Please step over here, sir.”  Deputy Novak waved Dean a few steps to the right and produced a hand-held scanner seemingly out of nowhere.  “Please hold your arms up,” the deputy instructed. 

Irritation rose in Dean.  “Seriously?” he demanded.  “Is this really necessary?”

The deputy fixed Dean with a cold look.  “Yes,” he answered simply.  They fell into a sort of staring contest at that, and Dean wondered what the hell happened to Garth and Ash.  Dean tried to keep his gaze locked with the other man's, but after a few moments, it became apparent that the guy in front of him was some sort of world staring champion or something.  Dean finally broke his gaze by rolling his eyes. 

“Fine,” he grumbled.  He held his hands out to the side and the man moved closer to begin waving the wand around him.  As the man moved, Dean caught the scent of the man’s cologne or aftershave.  It was clean and slightly spicy, and for a second, Dean had the urge to lean closer to the man.  He must have accidentally moved a little bit because he felt himself brush against the deputy as he waved the wand behind his back. 

“Sorry,” Dean murmured as he straightened back up.  The deputy didn’t respond.  Instead, he stood up and set down the wand on a small table next to him.

“Please show me the back of your belt buckle,” the deputy said in that same authoritative tone he’d had their entire interaction.  Dean arched an eyebrow at the deputy.  Slowly, he dropped his hand to his belt buckle and flipped it up to expose the back.  Dean felt the slightest bit of embarrassment as the deputy’s eyes dropped to it.  Before he could worry about it too much though, the deputy nodded his head and Dean let the buckle go. 

“We good or you want a cavity search next?” Dean asked irritably.  The deputy’s head titled slightly to the side and he frowned. 

“No.  We don’t do cavity searches,” he replied seriously.  Dean opened his mouth to retort, but realized that the deputy looked vaguely confused.  It was the least threatening the man had looked so far, and Dean decided he probably shouldn’t keep pushing his luck. 

“Alright then,” Dean eventually said.  “I’m just going to grab my stuff.”  He gestured over to the conveyor belt, and the deputy nodded.  Dean quickly stuffed things back into his pockets before lifting his bag and swinging it onto his shoulder.

“Thanks… or something,” Dean mumbled, still feeling annoyed.  He checked his phone and saw that he was now late.  Cursing and feeling angry, he jogged over to the courtroom and rushed inside. 

_Fucking security_ , he thought as he threw open the door. 


	3. Chapter 3

Dean didn’t really believe in the idea of bad luck, but he had to admit that bad luck seemed to be the best explanation for the turn his life had suddenly taken.  As he walked up to security, he was dismayed to see the same dark haired deputy working.  After his last encounter, Dean had decided that he wanted nothing more than to wave his court badge in that stubborn deputy’s face the next time he saw him.  He’d figured the badge was somewhere in his office, but when he had checked, it was nowhere to be found.  He’d gone home that night and ended up tearing apart his whole house looking for the damn thing.  Despite going as far as checking the kitchen cupboards and fridge on the off chance it ended up there, the badge was still missing.  Dean had hoped that maybe Garth or Ash would be working today, so it wouldn’t be a big deal, but apparently, that had been too much to ask. 

As Dean moved up in line, he felt his irritation growing.  It wasn’t necessarily a big deal to have to go through the normal security procedures, but something in Dean still felt annoyed anyway.  Garth and Ash had just been so cool about everything.  This deputy though seemed to have a stick shoved up his ass.  

The line shuffled forward, and soon, it was Dean’s turn to go through security. 

“We meet again,” Dean said wryly as he stepped up.  Deputy Novak didn’t respond as he pushed a plastic container Dean’s way. 

“Please place all the items in your pockets into the container.  Bag goes on the conveyor belt,” Deputy Novak said in that low, rumbly voice of his.  He was moving along to help some other people behind Dean when Dean interrupted. 

“Are you seriously going to make me do this again?” he complained. 

Deputy Novak’s eyes briefly glanced to Dean before returning back to the people behind him. 

“Do you have a court badge?” he replied flatly. 

Dean, never one to know when to shut up, huffed, “Yes.” 

“Great.  Can I see it?”  Deputy Novak turned away from the woman he was helping and looked at Dean expectantly with those deep, blue eyes.  They were beautiful eyes.  They went well with the color of his hair and skin and the color of his lips… 

Irritation sprang up in Dean instantly as he realized he had been checking out the Deputy.  Thankfully, the Deputy didn’t seem to notice.  “I lost it,” Dean complained, and he knew he sounded petulant. 

“Then please empty your pockets, place the items in this container, and place your bag on the conveyor belt,” the Deputy responded without even a trace of sympathy. 

Dean opened his mouth to protest some more, but as he caught sight of the time, he realized he needed to hurry.  He couldn’t afford to be late again like last time.  With a sound that he hoped conveyed just how inconvenienced he was, Dean emptied his pockets and placed his bag on the belt.  He waited until Deputy Novak waved him through the metal detector and sighed in relief when it didn’t go off. 

“Too bad.  You don’t get to use your wand on me today,” Dean smirked at the Deputy. 

The Deputy’s eyes lowered just slightly, but it made him look more dangerous, more threatening.  It was sexy as fuck. 

“Don’t forget your items,” the Deputy said in a tight voice as he gestured to the conveyor belt.  He turned with a flourish and was gone before Dean could say anything else. 

Even Dean had to admit that was probably for the best.

~*~*~*~

Dean stomped up to the security line.  He’d actually been in a pretty good mood until he saw the crazy hair of one Deputy Novak.  Now, he was just feeling angry.

“Morning,” Deputy Novak greeted.  It wasn’t exactly friendly, but it was polite, and for some reason that made Dean mad.  They weren’t on polite greeting terms.  They were enemies.  Maybe even one step from mortal enemies.  He wasn’t quite sure.  They definitely were not on say ‘morning’ to each other terms though. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have skipped breakfast this morning…

Dean sniffed in response to the Deputy’s words and dropped his bag on the conveyor belt gracelessly. 

“Still haven’t found your badge?” the Deputy asked, and there was a faint smirk on his face.

“No,” Dean ground out as tossed his wallet into the little plastic container the Deputy had set out.

“Why don’t you get a replacement?”

The words grated on Dean, and that was it. 

“Why don’t you?” Dean shot back.

The Deputy face wrinkled in confusion before dropping into a scowl. 

“Please step through the metal detector,” he said in a clipped tone.

_That was more like it.  Give the man a taste of his own medicine._

Dean smiled grimly as he stomped through the detector.  It went off, and he cursed.

“Well, wand me then,” he snapped as the Deputy took his sweet time grabbing the hand-held scanner.  What seemed like an eternity later, the Deputy finally gave Dean the go ahead.

Dean tromped over to the conveyor belt and collected his belongings.  Without another word, he stomped away.

~*~*~*~

“You can’t bring that in here.”

Dean stared slightly blurry eyed at the Deputy and tried to comprehend what the man was saying.  Dean wasn’t in the mood to fight.  He’d been sick for two days now, and all he wanted to do was go home and go back to bed.  He had a hearing though, so here he was.  He barely had the energy to stand up straight, let alone argue with this blue-eyed menace.

Apparently, Dean took too long to respond because the Deputy repeated himself.  “You can’t bring that in here.”  The Deputy pointed, and Dean realized he still had his cup of coffee in his hand. 

Dean looked at the cup, surprised he hadn’t left it in the car.  He hadn’t meant to bring it with him, but that’s just showed exactly how shitty he felt today. 

“It’s just coffee,” he growled and pointedly took a drink.

The Deputy’s face remained impassive.  “Doesn’t matter.  You’ll have to leave it outside.”

“Is that right?” Dean shot back.  To be honest, Dean knew there was no way he could walk into court with a coffee cup and not receive a tongue lashing from the judge.  He also had no desire to appear so unprofessional, but there was something about the Deputy that just grated on Dean’s nerves.  He took another long drink and glared.

“You’re holding up the line,” a man complained from behind him.  Dean turned and eyed the man before deciding that it just wasn’t worth it today.

“Fine, Deputy,” he snapped.  “Take it then.”  Dean thrust the coffee cup toward him, and the Deputy eyed the cup disdainfully and shook his head.

“You have to deal with it,” the Deputy informed him.

Dean’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped.  “Seriously?” he demanded. 

“Yes,” the Deputy responded simply.

They fell into another staring contest until the guy behind him cleared his throat loudly.  Dean jumped at the sudden sound and spilled some coffee on his sleeve.

“Fuck,” he breathed.  “I’ll be back,” he barked as he stormed out of the courthouse.

A few minutes later, after putting the stupid cup of coffee back in his car, he fell back into the security line.  He tried to scowl, but it took too much energy.  Luckily, there was a wall bordering one side of the security line.  He leaned heavily against it and closed his eyes for a second.  His head pounded, and he decided that he was going straight home after he was done.  He could probably make it home.  He could also just die in the court parking lot.  That was an option as well.

“Sir?”

Dean jumped as he realized that he still had his eyes closed.  He opened them and saw that the security line was completely empty.  He scrubbed his hand across his eyes and found Deputy Novak staring at him questioningly.    

Dean felt his cheeks flush.  He wasn’t exactly sure just how much of it was sickness and how much was embarrassment, but it was definitely some combination of both. 

_Fucking deputy, getting the best of him while he was sick._

Dean tried to storm over to the conveyor belt, but only managed an odd shuffle.  He placed his bag on it and emptied his pockets into one of the containers.  Deputy Novak watched him, with a look of wariness?  Judgment?  Who the hell knew.  It was weird and pissed him off, and he really didn’t need it today. 

He dragged himself through the metal detector and the alarm went crazy.  The sound cut through Dean’s already aching brain and caused him to wince. 

“Step this way,” Deputy Novak said.  Dean already knew the fucking drill, so he walked the few steps to the place the Deputy indicated and raised his hands.  As the Deputy waved the security scanner around, Dean felt his body grow heavier.  The deputy kneeled to wave the scanner around Dean’s legs, and Dean unconsciously placed a hand on the Deputy’s shoulder to steady himself.  The Deputy didn’t flinch or try to remove his hand, instead, when he was done scanning Dean’s legs, he gently placed his hand over Dean’s and rose, making sure Dean wouldn’t fall over.  It was a kind gesture, full of sympathy and support and care, and…

“I feel like you owe me a dinner with how often I let you wand me,” Dean blurted somewhat viciously.  He had not just been thinking nice things about Novak.  No.  The man was a fucking asshole.  This was just another way he was trying to screw with Dean, and Dean was not going to fall for it. 

The Deputy dropped his hand and pulled back from Dean suddenly.  Dean swayed slightly, but he managed to keep his feet. 

“Don’t forget your things,” the Deputy said curtly before turning his back. 

_There_ , Dean thought triumphantly.  _Asshole wasn’t fooling me._


	4. Chapter 4

“As Ms. Talbot has indicated, we did speak, and we did agree that a continuance seemed most appropriate.  Therefore, we would ask for this to be matter to be reset to sometime after the fifteenth.”  Dean glanced down at his file to make sure that he hadn’t forgot anything else and nodded when he was done.  He glanced over at Bela and saw that she was nodding in agreement.

“Very well,” Judge Turner said.  “I will grant the continuance.”  He motioned to his judicial assistant and asked her to find another date for the hearing.

While they were waiting, Dean heard a small shuffling sound behind him.  He turned and was surprised to see Deputy Novak standing against the right wall.  He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and a menacing look on his face.  He was in his uniform, of course.  He was always in the uniform, but never had it looked so… intimidating.  Imposing.  Authoritative.  Dean realized his mouth was suddenly dry, and he swallowed thickly. 

His tugged absently at his collar and wondered why the Deputy had come in.  Deputies usually came into the courtroom only if someone had been acting a bit too aggressive or if there was someone present who had the potential to become dangerous...

_Well, it probably wasn’t going to be a problem now,_ Dean thought.  _Not with Deputy Novak standing there, acting like Exhibit A for the term “bad ass” and looking so –_

“Dean,” Bella hissed, and Dean was snapped out of his thoughts.  He gaped uselessly as Bela jerked her head toward the judge.  He followed the direction and found Judge Turner frowning at him.

“Does the twenty-third work, Mr. Winchester?” the judge said in a tone that made it clear it wasn’t the first time he had asked.

“Uh, yes, of course,” Dean answered quickly.  He scrawled the date down on his file as Judge Turner called the next case.

Dean gathered his things and made his way to the back of the courtroom and the door.  His cheeks were slightly flushed still, and he was trying to stamp down the embarrassment he still felt at having zoned out in the middle of a hearing.  As he approached the door, he accidentally made eye contact with Deputy Novak.  Dean was just starting to glare when the Deputy winked.  The gesture surprised Dean so much that he banged into the door.  Luckily, the next hearing hadn’t started yet, so his fuck up wasn’t that obvious.  The Deputy had noticed though, and the man smiled broadly as Dean pushed his way outside.

~*~*~*~

“Do you take joy in tormenting me like this?” Dean huffed irritably as the Deputy waved the hand-held security scanner down Dean’s leg.

“Only because you’re an asshole,” the Deputy said under his breath.

“What?” Dean demanded.  “What did you say?” 

_Did the Deputy just…_

“I said please don’t forget to grab your things,” the Deputy replied politely. 

Dean eyed the Deputy suspiciously, but the man just shot him a wide smile.

~*~*~*~

“He’s a total dick, Charlie,” Dean cried, waving a hand in the air for emphasis.  “Seriously, I just want to know what the hell happened to Garth and Ash.”

“They moved to the jail,” a third voice cut in. 

Gabriel. 

Dean took a deep breath as the short, brown haired man made his way into Dean’s office and sat down in the chair next to Charlie. 

“How do you know that?” Charlie asked. 

Dean groaned.  “Don’t encourage him.  He’ll only stick around.” 

“Hey,” Gabriel said in mock hurt.  “What did I ever do to you, Freckles?”

“There was that whole super glue thing,” Charlie offered instantly.  Dean winced as he remembered the incident, but Gabriel just threw his head back and laughed.  Dean wondered how this man had ever managed to become an attorney. 

“That was a good one,” he breathed between peals of laughter.  Charlie did her best to hide a smile, but she wasn’t really good at it. 

“Are you two finished?” Dean said grumpily.

After a few more snickers, they both finally quieted down.  “What’s gotten into you today, big boy?” Gabriel asked flippantly. 

“He lost his court badge.  New Deputy is making him go through security like a normal person,” Charlie answered before Dean could say anything. 

Gabriel’s eyes flicked from Charlie to Dean and back again.  “Seriously?”

“Yes,” Dean huffed.  Charlie had told him he was being ridiculous, but maybe Gabriel would understand the pain. 

“Do you have to get your bag scanned and everything?” Gabriel prodded. 

Dean sighed again.  “Yes.  And the Deputy is a total dick.” 

Gabriel leaned back in his chair and pulled a candy bar out of his pocket.  “That wouldn’t be Deputy Novak, would it?” Gabriel asked lightly.  He took a big bite of his candy bar, and Dean decided he should go check out what snacks they had in the breakroom when they were done talking. 

“It is,” Dean complained.  Gabriel just made a sound in acknowledgment before Charlie cut in.

“Well, Dean, you should have told me sooner.  I’ll make an appointment with the court.  We’ll get it replaced.”  Charlie said like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Dean nodded, but didn’t try to act less pissy.  The Deputy was a total asshole, no matter how sexy he was.  “Fine,” Dean agreed. 

“Tell me I’m awesome,” Charlie teased.

Dean rolled his eyes, but smiled.  “You’re awesome,” Dean said. 

“Damn right.”  Charlie heaved herself up from the chair.  “Best paralegal in the state,” she bragged.

Dean shook his head fondly and watched as Charlie retreated.  Dean’s smile fell when his eyes landed back on Gabriel.  “You don’t have anything better to do, Gabe?” he said, annoyed. 

“I think I do,” Gabriel agreed.  He gave Dean a scary smile before sauntering out of his office.


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie made the appointment with the court, but it had to be scheduled a few days out.  Unfortunately, that meant that Dean was forced to endure the court security procedure, yet again.  He grumbled as he made his way up to the courthouse door.  A client meeting ran late, and he hadn’t even had time to grab lunch before he was out the door and running to court.  And now, he had to deal with Deputy Novak. 

There was no one in line at the security station when Dean entered the courthouse.  As a result, as soon as he opened the door, Deputy Novak’s eyes were instantly on him.  Dean felt the slightest bit self-conscious as he walked across the short distance to where the Deputy waited. 

“Court badge?” the Deputy said archly.  The man had a smug looking smile on his face, and Dean felt his blood instantly run hotter. 

Dean didn’t reply.  Instead, he dropped his bag heavily on the conveyor belt and emptied his pockets.  He didn’t wait for Deputy Novak before he marched through the metal detector.  It didn’t go off and for that, Dean was grateful.  That would show the smug bastard.  Dean walked over to the conveyor belt to retrieve his bag, but it wasn’t there.  Confused, he looked over and saw Deputy Novak staring intently at the x-ray screen.

“There’s nothing dangerous in there,” Dean groused.  “Unless of course you’re afraid of getting a paper cut.”  He was mentally congratulating himself on his wit when Novak grabbed his bag and set it in front of Dean. 

“I’m going to need to look inside this bag,” Novak said in a serious tone.

“What?” Dean cried incredulously.

The Deputy didn’t even so much as blink as he said, “There’s an odd looking object in your bag.  I can’t tell what it is with the scanner, so I’ll need to look in your bag.”

Dean’s jaw dropped.  “You really have some nerve,” he began, but the Deputy cut him off.

“Look, you can open up your bag and let me see what’s inside, or you can be escorted out of the courthouse.  It’s your choice.” 

Dean opened his mouth to retort, then closed it.  He couldn’t risk being thrown out of the courthouse.  He worked here.  Realizing he had a lot more at stake than his stupid grudge, he nodded tightly.

“Fine then.”

The Deputy relaxed just slightly.  “Okay, please open your bag.” 

Dean did as he was told and unclasped the bag.  He threw it open widely and barked, “See, told you?” 

The Deputy peered inside and paused.  For a long moment, he said nothing.  A flush started creeping up his cheeks and he fidgeted nervously.  “Uh… you can go,” the Deputy stammered. 

Caught off guard by the Deputy’s sudden change in demeanor, Dean found he couldn’t take his eyes off the man.  Dean closed his bag without looking down and felt himself frowning at the Deputy in concern.  “You okay?” he asked softly.  The Deputy looked like he might faint. 

“Fine,” the Deputy breathed.  Dean wasn’t convinced, but decided it wasn’t his problem anyway.  Adjusting his bag on his shoulder and pocketing his keys and wallet again, Dean mumbled a small thanks before walking away. 

It wasn’t until he made it into the courtroom and went to pull his file out of his bag that he realized what had happened. 

_Fucking Gabriel._  

~*~*~*~

“A vibrator, Gabe?  Fucking seriously?” 

Gabriel howled with laughter, and for a moment, Dean hoped Gabe might choke on the lollipop that was shoved in his mouth.

“Oh man, please tell me,” Gabriel managed to get out.  “How did his face look when he saw it?”  Gabriel began another round of maniacal laughter, and Dean did his best to glare a hole into the man’s stupid head. 

“What the hell, Gabe?” Dean demanded.  “That was just childish.  And that’s coming from me.” 

“I just… I just,” Gabriel wheezed.  The man was finding way too much humor in his own damn joke.  “I wish I could have seen his face.” 

“It probably looked a lot like mine when I found the fucking thing while I was sitting in the courtroom,” Dean yelled.

Gabriel looked absolutely unapologetic as he continued to laugh.  “Please tell me you accidentally pulled it out in front of the judge or something,” Gabriel snickered. 

“Thankfully, no,” Dean breathed.  “You’re still an asshole though.”

 ~*~*~*~ 

He saw Deputy Novak the next day. 

Neither of them could make eye contact with each other.

~*~*~*~ 

They couldn’t make eye contact the next two times they saw each other either.

~*~*~*~ 

Dean finally received his new court badge.  He’d only ended up being without it for a few weeks, but it was the most inconvenient few weeks of his life.  He never realized how important a stupid piece of plastic could be.

“Look what I have, Novak.”  Dean waved his court badge in the air as he burst through the courthouse doors.  Deputy Novak looked up from whatever he had been doing, and Dean saw only the barest of blushes tint his cheeks. 

When Dean got close enough, he thrust the badge toward the Deputy.  “See?” he prompted.  “No more metal detectors and bag checks.”  He said the words proudly before realizing he had accidentally alluded to the vibrator incident.  Dean looked up in horror and found Deputy Novak staring at him with wide eyes. 

“Oh no, I…” Dean started, but faltered.  “That wasn’t…”  He scrubbed a hand across his face and knew he was blushing.  “That wasn’t mine,” he blurted.

Deputy Novak just nodded slowly.  It didn’t look like he believed Dean at all.  Suddenly overcome with the desire to explain, Dean tried again.

“It was my idiot co-worker, Gabriel.  It was his idea of some practical joke,” Dean offered lamely. 

“Gabriel?” Deputy Novak asked.  “Gabriel Milton?

“That’s the one,” Dean agreed. 

The Deputy’s face fell into a scowl.  “Of course,” he said under his breath.

“Of course?” Dean prodded. 

“He’s my cousin,” Novak answered instantly.  “He’s notorious for his practical jokes.  He probably pulled this one to embarrass me as much as to embarrass you.” 

“Your cousin?” Dean repeated stupidly. 

Novak nodded his head, more sure this time.  “Yes.  That makes more sense.  You can be quite unpleasant, but I did not believe you would be the type of person to carry items of such a… personal nature to work.” 

“Thanks?” Dean replied questioningly. 

“You’re welcome,” the Deputy replied, and there was no trace of irony or humor in it at all.

“Well, I apologize for my cousin and thank you for showing me your court badge, Mr. Winchester,” the Deputy said absently as he handed Dean back the badge.

Dean took it carefully, then blurted, “Dean.  Please, call me Dean.” 

The Deputy regarded Dean for a long moment then nodded.  Dean wasn’t sure why, but he felt a warmth in his chest, and he smiled. 

“Thank you, Deputy Novak,” Dean called as he began to walk through the metal detector with his bag. 

“My name is Castiel,” the Deputy called back.  “You can call me Castiel.”

Dean stopped and gave the Deputy a mischievous grin.  “Alright, Cas,” he agreed before winking and walking away.


	6. Chapter 6

“Uh, hey,” Dean said tentatively as he approached the empty security line.  Castiel had been reading something and looked up as Dean approached.

“Good morning,” he replied politely.

Dean smiled as he fished his badge out of his pocket.  As he showed it to Castiel, he caught a glimpse of the book the man had been reading.

“Great Expectations?” he blurted. 

Castiel looked confused for a moment, but then seemed to understand.  He motioned toward the book and bit his lip. 

“Doing a little light reading?” Dean teased.  Castiel gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Yes,” he replied, somewhat shyly.  “My sister said that it was uncool, but I fail to see how reading classic literature could be anything but positive.”  The Deputy shifted awkwardly for a moment, and Dean couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.  Sam would probably love this guy. 

“Don’t listen to your sister,” Dean waved a hand dismissively.  “Smart is always cool.” 

Castiel gave him a dubious look, but nodded.  “Perhaps,” he agreed.  Their eyes met and they just smiled for a long moment. 

The sound of the courthouse door opening startled Dean, and he realized he had been staring.  He cleared his throat as he averted his eyes and tried to decide if he was blushing or not.  An elderly woman made her way to the security line, and Dean took that as his cue to move along. 

“Well, I’ll see you in a little while,” Dean waved.  Castiel cocked his head to the side and looked confused, so Dean quickly added, “When I go to leave.  I’ll pass by here, and I’ll… see… you… or something.”  He flushed in embarrassment and swore internally.  The Deputy just smiled and nodded. 

“See you in a little while, Dean.” 

 ~*~*~*~ 

“Fuck,” Dean swore as he gazed over the stack of files in his arms at the courthouse door.  He really needed to rethink his position on the rolling cart thing because this was just ridiculous.  He looked down at the files, then back at the door and tried to think of a way to open it without looking like a complete jackass.

He came up with nothing.

Sighing, he carefully tried to extend his fingers out from under the files and hook them around the door handle.  He wasn’t close enough on his first attempt, so he moved forward and tried again.  His second attempt wasn’t any better, and he almost lost his files as he tried to stretch his fingers a little further. 

Realizing that wasn’t going to work, he decided to try pinning the files between himself and the glass wall next to the door so he could free up one hand and pull the door handle.  He was just making the first adjustments when the door swung open and Castiel popped his head out.

“Need some help?”  He cocked his head to the side and looked curiously at Dean. 

Dean felt his heart jump at the sudden sight of the deputy, but he still managed to nod.  “Thank you,” he breathed.  He began to reposition the files in his arms, but stopped when Castiel walked toward him.  Gingerly, the man took half the files out of Dean’s arms and moved to open the courthouse door.

“After you,” Castiel nodded towards the now open door as he held the files in his arms.  With a significantly reduced burden, Dean easily made his way inside, and Castiel followed close behind.  When they made it to the security station, Dean paused so that he could grab his security badge.  Before he could start searching through his pockets though, Castiel stopped him.

“It’s okay this time,” the Deputy said playfully.  His eyes seemed to flash with amusement and maybe something else, Dean wasn’t quite sure.

“Rebel,” Dean murmured in response.  Castiel laughed at that, and the sound made Dean’s stomach flutter.  He tried very hard not to stare at the Deputy, but it was difficult.  He focused instead on the fact that the Deputy still had his files. 

“I can take those back,” Dean pointed to the files once Castiel had stopped laughing. 

The man looked down at the files in his arms, then shook his head.  “I’ll carry them to the courtroom for you.” 

“It’s okay, I can manage,” Dean began to protest.

“I insist,” Castiel replied, and he moved past Dean and through the metal detector before Dean could say anything else.  Dean stared after the man for a long moment, then hurried after him.

When they approached the courtroom door, Castiel opened it and gestured Dean through.  Dean thought that maybe Castiel would hand over the files then, but Castiel had other ideas. 

“Where are you sitting?” he leaned over and asked Dean. 

“There.”  Dean pointed to one of the chairs in the front of the room, and Castiel made his way toward it.  Dean followed, feeling very much like a blushing school girl having her books carried to class. 

It wasn’t the worst feeling. 

“Okay,” Castiel said as he set the files down in an empty chair.  Dean did the same and looked up to find Castiel smiling at him.  “When you’re done, just come find me, and I’ll help you carry these back out to your car.”

“Oh, man, no.  I couldn’t,” Dean stammered, but Castiel held up a hand and he fell silent.

“Just find me,” Castiel insisted.  “I’ll see you in a little while.” 

And with that, the Deputy strode out of the courtroom.

~*~*~*~

Dean stuffed some loose papers into one of his files, then made some notes on his pad of paper.  The docket was over for the day, and people were shuffling around, trying to gather their things and leave.  He didn’t pay attention though as he pulled out his phone and shot a quick email to Charlie about a motion and proposed order that needed to be drafted right away.  Knowing her, Charlie would have it done and ready for Dean to sign by the time he made it back to the office.  The woman was amazing.

He hit send and was just pocketing his phone again, when he was interrupted.

“Hello Dean.”  He looked up and found Castiel smiling down at him.  Dean inhaled sharply and smiled.

“Hey Cas,” Dean replied.  He did his best to calm his now racing heart, but it didn’t work out. 

“Cas,” Dean began after a moment.  “You don’t have to help me out.  I can manage.”  Dean began gathering the files and straightening them out as if to emphasize his point. 

Castiel gave him an amused look and shook his head.  “Just accept the help, Dean.”

Dean’s jaw dropped slightly at the words, and he wondered just how smug Sam would look right now if he had heard that.  The guy was always bitching at Dean about asking for help and not carrying burdens alone, and blah, blah, blah.   

Dean glanced at Castiel and the man had one eyebrow raised almost defiantly.  It left Dean speechless, and the only thing he could think to say was, “Okay.”


	7. Chapter 7

It hit Dean one day that he now found himself oddly excited about going to court, not because of his hearings or anything like that, but because of Cas.  When they saw each other, they rarely exchanged more than a few brief sentences.  Every once in a while though, Dean would learn something small about Castiel, like his preference for tea or his love of honey bees.  It wasn’t much, but it didn’t matter.  Dean found himself looking forward to seeing the Deputy and learning whatever he could about the blue-eyed man.  

Somewhere along the way, his mild curiosity with the Deputy bloomed into a full-on crush, and Dean had taken to lingering a bit after his hearings, just so he could watch the dark-haired man for a little longer.  It was probably a bit creepy, but Dean did a good job of keeping his ogling subtle. 

Or so he thought. 

“Dude,” Sam huffed as he walked up to Dean in the courthouse lobby.  Dean reluctantly tore his eyes away from the Deputy, who had been talking animatedly to some kid and his mother, and glared at Sam.

“What?” he demanded. 

“You might want to keep it in your pants.  We are in public,” he motioned toward the Deputy, and Dean felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment.

“What?” he repeated, hoping he sounded casual, but knowing he probably just sounded stupid.

Sam rolled his eyes before fixing Dean with his best unimpressed look.  “Every time I see you here, you’re practically drooling over that Deputy,” Sam accused.

“What?” Dean said for the third time.  “No I’m not.” 

“You are,” Sam pressed. 

“No,” Dean stammered. 

“You are, Dean.”

Dean gave Sam his best witty retort.  

“No I’m not.  You are.”

“Right,” Sam said sarcastically.  “Why don’t you ask the guy on a date if you’re that interested?”  Sam tossed the question out there like it was no big deal, but Dean felt his heart skip. 

“I-I can’t,” he murmured.  The thought had occurred to him, but he had immediately dismissed it as a bad idea. 

“Why?” Sam asked, sounding slightly surprised. 

Dean thought for a moment, but decided he really didn’t want to talk about this with his brother.  “He’s probably not even interested in guys, Sammy,” Dean pointed out. 

As if on cue, Castiel’s eyes swept the lobby and landed on Dean.  Their eyes met, and Castiel smiled softly while raising a hand in greeting.  Dean’s heart skipped a beat, and he nodded in reply.  They didn’t look away from each other until Sam interrupted. 

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Sam commented.  “He seems to like you just fine.” 

Dean frowned and wondered whether all little brothers were this irritating.  “Okay, well, that’s enough of that for one lifetime,” Dean announced.  “I’m out of here.” 

Sam just laughed and said good bye as Dean made his way to the door.  As he passed near the security station, Castiel caught his eye again, and Dean almost tripped over nothing.  He thankfully caught himself before scurrying out the door. 

~*~*~*~

That night, Dean couldn’t get Sam’s words out of his head. 

_Why don’t you ask the guy on a date if you’re that interested?_  

Dean tried his best to stifle the words, bury them under TV and a big, juicy cheeseburger.  It worked for a little while, but inevitably, Dean found himself thinking about it again.

Should he ask out Deputy Novak?

On the one hand, Deputy Novak was hot.  Although he had been kind of a dick at first, Dean could admit that maybe he hadn’t been on his best behavior either.  Besides, now that Dean knew the guy a little more, it was obvious that Castiel was an awesome guy.  Dean really wouldn’t mind getting dinner with him, talking some more, finding out what was under that uniform…

On the other hand though, it was weird.  Castiel worked at a place that Dean couldn’t just avoid if the guy wasn’t interested or if things didn’t work out after a date.  If either of those things happened, Dean would be stuck seeing Castiel most days of the week and having to pretend like nothing was awkward between them.  That was less than ideal. 

_But then again, Castiel was so awesome._

He went back and forth for a long time, but by the time he crawled into bed, he had made a decision. 

He was going to ask Castiel out tomorrow.

~*~*~*~

Dean walked up to the courthouse, jittery and full of excitement.  He’d put on his best suit that morning and had even spent time ironing his button up so that it was crisp and sharp.  He tried to tell himself that he hadn’t done it for Castiel, but even he couldn’t believe that lie.  With one last deep breath, he opened the doors to the court and put on his most charming smile. 

Castiel wasn’t there though.  Instead, a short, blonde woman was dealing with the security line.

As Dean flashed his court badge at her and she waved him through the metal detector, Dean realized it was a sign.

Asking out Castiel was a bad idea.

~*~*~*~ 

Despite it being a bad idea, Dean was bitterly disappointed when Castiel wasn’t at the courthouse the rest of the week.

Because, seriously?  Was it that bad of an idea? 

~*~*~*~

Dean couldn’t ignore the way his stomach had jumped and his heart fluttered when he entered the court Monday morning and saw the tall, blue eyed Deputy smiling back at him.  He tried to act casual when he asked Castiel where he had been, but his voice had been unsteady and he kept fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt.  As if that weren’t bad enough, any attempt at acting casual went completely out the window when Castiel said he had been on vacation.  Dean had squeaked as the image of Castiel in nothing but board shorts popped into his head.

Castiel hadn’t seemed to notice or mind Dean’s behavior though.  The beautiful Deputy had just kept smiling at him and looking at Dean like he was so interesting and engaging, and Dean had almost asked out the man right then and there.  He waited a little too long to make his move though, and other people gathered in line behind him, denying him the opportunity. 

As Dean walked through the metal detector and away from Castiel, he promised himself that next time, he would ask the man out.


	8. Chapter 8

It should have been a relatively straight forward case.  The defendant had entered a guilty plea earlier, so all that was left was sentencing.  It wasn’t long after the case was called and the hearing began though that things went to shit.  The defendant’s family had decided to come to court, and they were loud and threatening throughout.  The defendant, obviously emboldened by his family’s behavior, also decided to become belligerent and somewhat unstable, and the whole hearing became a chaotic mess of yelling and another deputy (not Cas) having to intervene.  More than one of the defendant’s family was removed from the courtroom, and Dean found himself with a headache before the hearing was even halfway done.

In the end, the man was sentenced to ten years in prison and Dean had looked forward to escaping the courtroom and maybe leaving the office early for the day.  Unfortunately for him, as he tried to leave the courtroom, he was accosted by a few straggling family members.  After extricating himself as deftly as he could manage, he had just wanted to get out to his car as fast as possible.  He had intended to ask Castiel out today, but decided that this probably wasn’t the best time.  So, instead of veering off toward Castiel and talking to him like usual, he had merely waved as he ran out the door.

Dean practically sprinted to his car, but apparently, he wasn’t quite fast enough.  He had just pulled out his keys to unlock his door, when he heard it.

“You son of a bitch.”

Dean turned and found an angry looking man, whom he had learned earlier was the defendant’s brother, stalking up toward him. 

“You think you can do this to my brother?”  The man moved faster than Dean expected, and before Dean could react, he was slammed against the side of his car.  The air escaped his lungs in a whoosh, and he dropped his bag on the wet concrete. 

“You smug bastard, I’m going to kill you.” 

The man pulled back his fist, but Dean was ready for it.  With a twist, he managed to rip free of the man’s grip and throw him off balance.  Dean stepped away from the car, so he couldn’t be pinned again, but the man just smiled and lunged for him. 

The man caught him around the waist, and they both went tumbling to the ground.  The whole world blurred as Dean tried to avoid being hit, while also trying to regain his feet.  His suit jacket confined his movements just enough to make things difficult, and Dean cursed. 

The man managed to push Dean down by his neck and went to hit him.  Dean met the man’s eyes for a brief moment, and the violent glee sent a shiver down his spine.  The man smiled again, and Dean braced himself for the punch, but it never happened.  Instead of being hit, Dean felt a small jerk as the man above him suddenly went flying backwards.  Dean sat up instantly and scrambled back, ready for the man’s next attack.  As his eyes landed on the man though, he was surprised to see Castiel, pinning the man to the ground, a knee firmly planted in the middle of the man’s back. 

“That’s enough,” he heard Castiel tell the struggling man.  Castiel pressed harder with his knee and yanked the man’s hands behind his back.  Dean had just enough time to see Castiel pull handcuffs from somewhere, and then Sam was on him.

“Dean,” Sam cried as his face suddenly filled Dean’s entire field of view.  “Dean, are you alright?”

~*~*~*~

After the initial confusion and concern, Sam had insisted that Dean go to the hospital to get checked out.  Dean had vehemently refused to do such a thing, but somehow word of his little encounter had already made it back to the office, and his boss had called and started going on about worker’s comp and telling Dean he couldn’t come back to work until he was checked out, so he didn’t really have a choice.  As a result, Dean had begrudgingly allowed Sam to take him to the hospital. 

Once they arrived, Sam continued to hover and fret.  It got so bad that Dean eventually had to kick his brother out of the exam room and insist that he go anywhere else.  Sam had been bitchy about it, but he had eventually acquiesced, leaving Dean to continue being poked and prodded in peace.

In the end, Dean had little more than a few bruises and scrapes.  He had been resting and waiting for the results of some damn test the doctors insisted on doing, when there was a knock at his door.  Expecting it to be Sam, yet again, Dean didn’t bother opening his eyes.  He heard the door open tentatively, and he sighed.

“Sammy, I’m fine,” he huffed and waved a hand toward the door.  “If you want to be useful though, maybe you can get me a coffee or something.”

“Oh, sorry,” a deep voice replied, and Dean’s eyes instantly shot open.

“Cas?” Dean breathed as he realized that the blue-eyed Deputy was standing in his room.  The Deputy smiled, somewhat shyly, and raised one hand in greeting. 

“I hope I’m not intruding,” Castiel answered.

Dean sat up and grinned.  “No, not at all.  Please, come in.”  He motioned to the chair in the corner and tried his best to casually smooth his hair.  He hadn’t actually bothered looking in the mirror yet, but he couldn’t imagine he looked good. 

“I.. uh…” Castiel stammered, before stopping and taking a deep breath.  “These are for you.”  From behind his back, he produced a small bouquet of flowers.

“You brought me flowers?” Dean asked, and he had to try hard to keep the giddiness he was feeling from overwhelming his voice.

The Deputy flushed a deep, crimson color, but he nodded and took a few steps forward to hand the bouquet to Dean.  Dean accepted the flowers and resisted the urge to smell them.  He did have a reputation to maintain after all.

“I was told that it is customary to bring flowers to people in the hospital,” Castiel explained.  He gestured at the flowers, then looked around nervously.  “I hope that was okay.” 

Dean couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he peered down at the delicate bouquet. 

“They’re great.  Thank you,” Dean said as sincerely as he could.  Castiel regarded Dean for a brief moment, but nodded, looking pleased.

“Take a seat,” Dean motioned to the chair.  Castiel moved over and sat down carefully.  “I should probably be buying these for you though,” Dean commented as he smiled at the flowers again.  “You saved me.”

Dean had meant for the words to be flirty and playful, but they came out a little sappier than he intended.  He cleared his throat and hoped that Castiel hadn’t noticed. 

“Some of the court staff said that the man who attacked you was the brother of someone you prosecuted today.”

Dean nodded.  “Yeah.  Judge gave the guy ten years.  I guess his brother didn’t like that and decided to blame me.” 

“So he attacked you,” Castiel said flatly.

Dean looked over at the Deputy and was surprised to see he looked a little angry. 

“I don’t think he really thought through the plan,” Dean tried to joke, but the stormy look on Castiel’s face didn’t change. 

“He could have hurt you very badly.” 

“Eh, I can handle myself,” Dean said airily.  The look on Castiel’s face remained, so Dean tried again to lighten the mood. 

“But you swooped in and saved the day.”  He thought for a moment, then added, “And thanks for that, man.”

Castiel’s face softened, and Dean watched as some of that initial nervousness returned to his features. 

“It was my job,” Castiel deflected. 

“Well, you did it damn well, and I owe you one.”  Castiel looked up, and their gazes caught.  They both smiled softly at each other, and Dean felt a warm feeling unfurl in his stomach. 

_Man, this guy was beautiful._

The door opened, interrupting the moment, and a nurse entered the room. 

“I just wanted to let you know that we’re working on your discharge paperwork.  Someone will be by soon to talk to you, and then we’ll get you on your way.”

“Alright,” Dean replied, and the nurse smiled before disappearing out the door.  Dean turned his attention back to Castiel and frowned when he saw that the other man had stood up.

“I should probably let you rest,” Castiel explained as he tugged absently at the hem of his shirt.  He took a few, awkward steps toward the door, and Dean felt a surge of adrenaline through his veins.

“Wait,” he called.  Castiel stopped and turned to look at Dean expectantly.  Dean’s mouth went dry, but he didn’t think too hard as he blurted, “Will you go to dinner with me?”

Castiel’s eyes went wide, then apprehensive. 

“You don’t owe me,” Castiel said quietly.  “It was my job, and I was happy to do it.” 

There was a pause, and Dean decided to throw caution out the window.  This wasn’t exactly the way he had imagined asking Cas out, but it seemed as good a time as any.  And hell, he could always claim that he had been hopped up on pain killers later if Cas said no.

It was actually the perfect opportunity.

“What if it wasn’t because I owe you?  What if it’s just because I really want to have dinner with you?”

Castiel blinked at Dean.  “You want to have dinner with me?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded too enthusiastically. 

Castiel stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment before saying, “Are you asking me out on a date?”  Castiel’s brow wrinkled in confusion, and he cocked his head slightly to the side.  It sent another warm wave through Dean, and he laughed.

“Yes,” Dean chuckled.  “I’m asking you on a date.”

Castiel’s eyes went wide again, and he looked at Dean with an expression that was incredibly close to awe. 

When he continued to stare at Dean, but didn’t answer, Dean prompted, “Cas?”

That seemed to snap Cas out of whatever he’d fallen into because the man shook his head and smiled brightly. 

“I would love to have dinner with you.”

~*~*~*~

“Deputy,” Dean greeted as he ambled up to courthouse security. 

“Mr. Winchester,” the outrageously sexy deputy nodded in return.  “May I please see your court badge?”

Dean smirked and made a show of patting himself down, looking for the badge.  The Deputy’s eyes followed his movements, and Dean trailed his fingers over his body a little slower than was strictly necessary. 

“I don’t seem to have it,” Dean said innocently.  He slowly batted his lashes and bit his bottom lip.  “I guess you’ll just have to search me.”

The Deputy took in a sharp breath and licked his lips.  Dean watched the movement carefully and licked his own lips in return.  He felt himself leaning forward ever so slightly, and his breathing went erratic.

“Is that so?”

Dean looked up through his lashes and nodded.  “You should probably use your wand on me, too.”

The Deputy arched one eyebrow, and his eyes darkened.

“Well, Mr. Winchester,” the Deputy purred in a deep, low rumble.  “I would be happy to do that.  There’s just one little problem.”

The Deputy pressed closer, and Dean held his breath as he waited for the Deputy to finish.  He could feel himself leaning closer and closer as the moment seemed to stretch out before him.

“And what might that be?” Dean murmured, his voice becoming breathy and his pulse quickening.   

All at once, Castiel’s demeanor changed as he pulled Dean’s court badge out of his shirt pocket, and smiled smugly.

“I saw you left your badge on the kitchen table, so I brought it for you.”

Dean jerked back at the sudden change in Castiel’s demeanor, and Cas chuckled.  Dean frowned for a moment, then shrugged. 

“Doesn’t mean you can’t search me anyway,” Dean said mischievously.  He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but Castiel just kept laughing.

“Take your badge, Dean,” Castiel said fondly.  Dean plucked the badge out of Castiel’s hand and shoved it into his bag.

“You’re no fun,” Dean complained.

“That’s not what you said this morning,” Castiel reminded him.  Dean thought back on how exactly Cas had decided to wake him up, and he blushed. 

“True,” Dean grumbled. 

“Besides.”  Castiel took a step closer and leaned in to whisper in Dean’s ear.  “I was planning on handcuffing you and strip searching you later tonight.”

Dean let out a pathetic whimper, and Castiel grinned devilishly.  He stepped back and put a more respectable distance between them, and Dean had to stop himself from grabbing at his boyfriend. 

“Good luck with your hearing, Dean.”

“Yeah, yeah.  I’ll need it now that you’ve put such distracting thoughts in my head.”  He scowled, but it only lasted a few seconds.  His face melted into a goofy smile, and Dean slipped through the metal detector.  The alarm clanged wildly, and Dean threw his boyfriend one last look.

“See you in a little while, Cas.”

“See you in a little while, Dean.”


End file.
